Fabricated metal article and method of making same



July 21, 1936. J. w.` HUGHES 2,048,187

FABRICATED METAL ARTICLE AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME Filed May 3, 11933 [N VEN TOR.

39 dME ,W HUGHE.

: I BY l ATTdRNEY.

Patented July 2l, 1936 -I PATENT OFFICE ranmcaran nm'rai. Annone Aun Ms'rnon or mme sans James'W. Hughes, Detroit, Mieli.. aleignor to Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Mieli., a corporation of Delaware Application May 3, 1933, Serial No. 669.288

3 Claims. (Cl. 'I4-588) ments; to provide die cast portions having sockets for receiving the ends of such wire elements; to

provide alloy lms between the interior surfaces of such sockets and the registering outer surfaces of the wire received therein which are integrally united with such surfaces; and to provide convenable parts in a structure of this'character which are particularly adapted to be simultaneously welded together by a. copper-hydrogen weld.- ing process.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved method of fabricating devices of this kind, such as levers and connecting rods, by means of which both plate and wire stock can be used without substantial cross-sectional change from the form in which it is received :from the mills; to providev a method of this kind in which a, plurality of parts may be temporarily assembled in their nalrelation and simultaneously welded together; and to provide a method for fabricating ferrous metalparts into a substantially finished product which eliminates practically all trimming of welding metals and alloys from the joints of such parts.

An, illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which: 40.

Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view schematv ically illustrating a furnace in which the parts of my improved fabricated articles may be conveniently simultaneously welded together.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the connecting rod of the type used in internal combustion engines showing the parts in a temporary secured together relation.

in Fig. 6 showing parts thereof removed to disclose the underlying structure.

In Figs. 2 to 5, inclusive, my invention is illustrated as it applies to the construction of an 1nternal combustion engine connecting rod. 'Ihe connecting rod comprises a wrist pin bearingportion IB, preferably die forged ferrous metal, having a pair of adjacent sockets II in one side into which ferrous metal wire elements I2 extend. The intermediate portions of the wire elements diverge outwardly with respect to each other and the end portions thereof are offset outwardly and they terminate in substantially straight threaded sections I3. The outwardly offset end portions of the wire elements I2 provide a yoke-shaped structure in which is received a journaled portion I4 including a semi-cylindrical collar I5 that is provided throughout the outer portions of its periphery with grooves or depressions I6 for receiving the offset end portions of the wire elements. Formed in the extremities of the semicylindrical collar I5 Vare rectangular-shaped recesses I1 in which blocks I8, preferably comprising ferrous metal, are mounted. The blocks I8 constitute ears or flanges and are provided with apertures I9 for receiving the straight sections of the end portions of the wire elements I v2.

Mounted between the wire elements I2 is a'web structure including a substantially triangularshaped plate 2li having its longitudinal edges seated in recesses 2| formed in the adjacent sides of the wire elements I2. The web has a reinforcing nange 22 mounted upon and disposed at substantially 90 to the plate 20. The ange 22 is provided with tongues 23 which are received` in apertures formed in the central portion of the plate 20. The left extremities of the plate 2i) and flange 22 are seated in recesses 24 formed in the journal portion l and the right extremities of these members are seated in recesses 25 provided in the outer periphery of the central portions of the collar I5.

Prior to assembling of the above described parts in the relation illustrated, their surfaces are coated with a lm of copper or alloy including copper and such coating is applied to the surfaces of all of the above mentioned grooves, depressions, recesses and tongues of the respective parts. The parts are assembled in the relation desired in the finished product and they are temporarily secured together, particularly at the crankshaft end of the connecting rod by a clamping block 25, preferably comprising chrome steel, which is provided with apertures for' receiving the straight end sections of the wire elements I2. The block 25 is urged against the end of the journal portion Il by bolts 26 threaded on the ends I3 of the wire elements. These bolts firmly draw theoffset portions of the wire elements. collar I and blocks I8 into close-fitting relationship.

A sughi binding at between me nol ends of the Vwire elements l 2 and the sockets il in which they are received is relied upon to temporarily secure the parts at the left end of the connecting rod together.

After the parts aretemporarily secured together they are placed upon an endless belt 21, preferably formed of heat resisting metal, by which they are carried through in a muille 28 of a furnace 29. The muiiie 28 is surrounded by a chamber 30 which is heated in any suitable manner such as, for example, by a gas burner 3l The conveyor 21 moves.

the article from the left to the right end of the muiile and an inlet pipe 32 is provided at the right end of the muille for supplying hydrogen to the interior of the muille which preferably flows, in a direction opposite to the travel of the articles, to

' `the left 'endof the muille where it may`v escape forming alloy films containing copper and iron at the junctions of the parts. T'hese films are integrally united with substantially the entire area of adjacent surfaces of the parts in such a manner as to provide a welded joint therebetween.

Bearing caps of the type used in conjunction with connecting rods of the character disclosed may be formed by a similar process. As illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the bearing cap includes a ferrous metal collar 35 of semi-cylindrical shape which is provided at its'extremlties with rectangular shaped recesses '36 for'receiving ferrous metal blocks 31. The surfaces of the recesses andvblocks are covered with a coating containing copper and the blocks are preferably temporarily secured to the collar by pins 38 which extend through the blocks and collar in the direction of the axis of the latter. When the parts are assembled in the relation shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the resulting'assembly is placed upon the conveyor 21 Aand passed through the hydrogen furnace.

In the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and. 7, the fabricated operative connecting 'device comprises a pair of spaced apertured ferrous metal disc or bearing portions 39 having grooves 4B in their peripheries. These discs are coated with a copper containing alloy and connected together by a copper or copper alloy coated ferrous metal'wire element 4l having its intermediate portion wrapped around the grooved portion of one disc throughout substantially more than thereof and its end portions are curved to con'- form with the curvature of the .groove A.of the periphery of the other disc in which they are seated. The extremities of the wire element are preferably disposed in abutting relationship and the intermediate portions of the wire element are somewhat 'crimped adjacent the inner sides'of the disc so as to bring the sections offthe wire ele- -ment which are disposed between the discs into parallel' relationship. A temporary clamping member d2 is engaged upon the parallel sections of the wire el and releasably` secured thereto by an adjustment screw d3 which urges these parailel sections together and rmly holds the device in an assembled relation while it is passing through the hydrogenA The heat to which the parte of the device are subjected in the hydrogen furnace causes the copper containing coating on the contacting external surfaces of the parts to fuse or alloy with the ferrous metal of the wire and discs and thereby permanently and substantially 5 integrally unite' these parts together.

The structure of the parts of my improved fabricated articles, the manner in which they are assembled and the welding process employed assures fusion oi only the adjacent surfaces of the parts at a temperature substantially below that at which the ferrousmetal parts lose their stability.

Although but several s'pecic embodiments of the invention are herein shown and described, it will be understood that various changes in Ithe size, shape and arrangement-of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A fabricated connecting Arod including a ferrous metal journal portion having sockets therein, a pair of ferrous metal wire elements having adjacent ends received in said sockets and having longitudinally extending slots in their side 25 portions, the opposite end portions of said wire elements being offset outwardly with respectv to each other, a bearing section comprisingV ferrous metal disposed between said outwardly offset end portions having sockets therein receiving parts of the latter, a web comprising ferrous metal disposed between the intermediate portions of said wire elements having edges extending into thelongitudinally extending slots thereof, and alloy lms containing copper and iron integrally united 35 with the inner'and outer registering surfacesiof said-sockets and wire elements respectively and vbetween the adjacent surfaces of said web and longitudinally extending slots respectively. 2. A fabricated ferrous metal connecting rod 4o for operatively connecting together relatively movable elements of a mechanism, y including spaced portions adapted to be drivingly and drivenly engaged, each having a pair of depressions and a recess formed therein, a pair of ferrous' metal wire elements having adjacent ends extending into said depressions, said elements having longitudinally extending slots in'their side portions, a web structure comprising ferrous metal disposed between the intermediate portions of said wire elements, said structure comprising a plate having edges extending into said slots and an angular flange kextending into said recesses, and an alloy'lm containing copper and iron integrally united with substantially the entire area ofthe respective registering surfaces* of said wire elements, portions and Vweb structure.l

3. A fabricated ferrous metal connecting rod for operatively connecting together relatively 60 movable elements of a mechanism including spaced portions adapted to be drivingly and drivenly engaged and having depressions therein, a pair of ferrous metal wire elements having 'adjacent ends extending into said depressions, said 65` wire elements having ylongitudinally extending slots in their side portions, a web comprising fer-` rous metalA disposed between the intermediate portions of said wire elements and having edges extending into said slots, and alloy films con- 70 I taining copper and iron integrally united with the juxtapositioned surfaces of said wire elements and depressions and with said wire elements and seid web.

JS W. HUGHES 75 

